江崎グリコ | オトナグリコ アーモンドピーク | 2015
"This Is Only Funny Because It's Tsumabuki and Matsushima" / Glico "Otona Glico Almond Peak"
This ad turns a pitch competition between ad agencies into the ad itself. Nanako Matsushima and Satoshi Tsumabuki play creative directors from rival agencies, fighting over Glico's business, in this behind-the-scenes story. You get a peek into the industry (surely exaggerated quite a bit), and that alone makes it fun to watch.
The insight
But thinking about it more, I suddenly find myself wondering: isn't this only funny because it's Tsumabuki and Matsushima? Apparently the movie Judge, made by Mr. Sawamoto, is pretty realistic — oh, come to think of it, that one also starred Tsumabuki. Maybe he just has an "ad industry face"...
The idea
The series runs through chapters like "The Briefing" and "The Planning," turning the actual process of making ads into the joke itself. Matsushima's creative director declares, "I believe in the power of TV commercials!" while Tsumabuki's creative director fires back, "TV commercials are old news... what kind of advertising doesn't move the whole world!" The two stereotypical ad-industry characters play off each other.
Afterthought
Watching this commercial, I find myself wondering how far this meta-structure—turning the people who make ads into the subject of an ad—actually reaches ordinary viewers. But at the very least, I was pulled in by how entertaining the two actors' performances and the setup were. Tsumabuki and Matsushima really do have that "ad industry face," I think.
